Description

As seen on Oprah's SuperSoul Sunday In a time of social and ecological crisis, what can we as individuals do to make the world a better place? This inspirational and thought-provoking book serves as an empowering antidote to the cynicism, frustration, paralysis, and overwhelm so many of us are feeling, replacing it with a grounding reminder of what's true: we are all connected, and our small, personal choices bear unsuspected transformational power. By fully embracing and practicing this principle of interconnectedness--called interbeing--we become more effective agents of change and have a stronger positive influence on the world. Throughout the book, Eisenstein relates real-life stories showing how small, individual acts of courage, kindness, and self-trust can change our culture's guiding narrative of separation, which, he shows, has generated the present planetary crisis. He brings to conscious awareness a deep wisdom we all innately know: until we get our selves in order, any action we take--no matter how good our intentions--will ultimately be wrongheaded and wronghearted. Above all, Eisenstein invites us to embrace a radically different understanding of cause and effect, sounding a clarion call to surrender our old worldview of separation, so that we can finally create the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible. With chapters covering separation, interbeing, despair, hope, pain, pleasure, consciousness, and many more, the book invites us to let the old Story of Separation fall away so that we can stand firmly in a Story of Interbeing.show more

Review quote

"This is a revolutionary and interactive book--in the sense that it inspires the reader to think out of the ordinary. Eisenstein will be noted in antiquity as one of the seminal and pioneering storytellers of this new world."
--Publishers Weekly Starred Review "It is rare to find, in such digestible portions, so rich a feast for mind and heart."
--Joanna Macy, author of Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy "When I read Charles Eisenstein I felt as if I had just put on an extraordinarily clear, lucid, morally honest set of glasses. I see my outer and inner worlds in penetrating detail. He isn't just describing a possible world. He is helping us find our way to it."
--Vicki Robin, author of Your Money or Your Life "Charles Eisenstein is a cultural investigative journalist, questioning the perpetually unexamined assumptions of both conventional and counter-cultural thinking. He is a cultural storyteller, a visionary who gives us a glimpse of what the new Story of the People may look like, how we might get there, and how close we are to it."
--Mark Boyle, author of The Moneyless Manifesto "God damn this is good! This version of the big story by Charles Eisenstein is one of the best I have ever heard. Charles, you are speaking for millions of us and we so know what you are saying to be true. We will absolutely tell the whole fucking world about it."
--Brad Blanton, author of Radical Honesty "The more beautiful world I inhabit accords with Charles Eisenstein's vision: a world where we embrace the shadow and give it name so that the healing can begin. Take this book and let it seep into your very being."
--Polly Higgins, author of Eradicating Ecocide, barrister and earth lawyer "This book will change your world. It is beautiful because Charles Eisenstein has the courage to be vulnerable and it is in acknowledging our vulnerability that we will realize our greater humanity."
--Revd Peter Owen-Jones, presenter of Around the World in 80 Faiths, author, and priest "One does not 'read' this book, but rather interacts with it. And take heed, it will open your heart and mind, arouse ire and derision, and change the way you think about your life. Beautifully written, heart-warming, and thought-provoking, Eisenstein will undoubtedly be noted in history as a pivotal storyteller."
--New Conciousness Review On Sacred Economics
"This brilliant and beautifully written book is a must-read for all those who believe our economic system is terminally sick and in need of radical, sacred rehaul. I hope this book begins a serious, worldwide conversation on how we can reinvent our attitude to money."
--Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism On The Ascent of Humanity
"Brilliant and original, with great depth of insight and understanding. The Ascent of Humanity easily ranks with the works of such giants of our age as David Bohm, Julian Jaynes, Jean Gebser, Alfred North Whitehead...."
--Joseph Chilton Pearce, author of The Crack in the Cosmic Egg "A powerful pick for any who would combine spiritual perspectives with social change. This book thwarts cynicism and offers keys to connecting personal choices to powerful change. ... An uplifting, inspirational, spiritual and social examination recommended for a wide range of readers looking for positive encouragement."
--Midwest Book Reviewshow more

About Charles Eisenstein

Charles Eisenstein is a speaker and writer focusing on themes of civilization, consciousness, money, and human cultural evolution. His viral short films and essays online have established him as a genre-defying social philosopher and countercultural intellectual. Eisenstein graduated from Yale University in 1989 with a degree in Mathematics and Philosophy and spent the next ten years as a Chinese-English translator. The author of Sacred Economics and, Ascent of Humanity, he currently lives in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.show more

Rating details

583 ratings

4.37 out of 5 stars

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26% (149)

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11% (66)

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3% (19)

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